Teatime

I had a job as a hotel nanny in Hawaii for a while. It was awesome. I was Maui Poppins. My company worked all of the big resorts. Mostly it was an evening gig, where I had to hang out with tiny strangers in a hotel room for a few hours while mom and dad went to dinner and a show. The problem with hotel rooms is there’s not much to do in there besides bounce on the bed and watch TV. Now I’ve got no objection to gymnastics practice, but I feel like a failure when my charges are compelled to resort to passive entertainment. So after a few weeks of making up games like “let’s put dozens of strips of toilet paper up on the fan and then turn it on and see how many we can catch in the air”, I started bringing a bag of tricks and toys along with me on my visitations. The contents got use-tested and refined over time, and eventually I got it down to a tight collection of classic hits.

Years later, I started serving as ground control so often that I was inspired to use the same magic carpet bag to hold a travel kit for trippers. I like to leave it packed in the closet so I can just grab it when a play date develops at the last minute or I get a late night phone call from an addled friend who wants me to come peel him off of the ceiling. Tastes and styles vary of course, but I figured I’d dump it out on the floor here and show you what I’ve got. Maybe it will inspire you to put together a psychedelic emergence (not to say emergency) kit of your own. In no particular order:

• A non-drip, non-tip candle.
• Lighters. (Pack two. Trust me.)
• A safety mirror. The kind they make for baby cribs is perfect.Yeah, yeah, I know; but sometimes it’s interesting.
• Art supplies: Pen, paper, crayons, etc. (Nothing too messy.)
• Silly putty. I like the sparkly kind.
• Flowtoys (flowtoys.com). These are adjustable LED lightsticks that provide soft illumination. I find it fun and calming to spin stuff around. Glowsticks work almost as well, but they always end up in landfills.
• Sage and Paulo Santo (an aromatic wood). Some people enjoy essential oils, too! I particularly like jasmine.
• Massage oil. I also have Tiger Balm. Your mileage may vary. Try it on your nipples. Don’t get it in your eyes.
• Media player full of goodness. Load up your favorite device with music, beloved art, cool screensavers, and pix of loved ones. (Don’t forget to charge it!)
• Recording devices. While there are risks associated with recording illegal activities, it’s good to have a way to review the session.
• A shaker egg. Rhythm is powerful. Any simple little musical instrument will do.
• A prism. Light is beautiful.
• Laser pointer. Especially if a cat is nearby. Don’t shoot your eye out.
• Singing bowl. Resonance is magic. My friend Aurora plays the bowl right on people’s chakras. It’s cooler than it sounds, and it sounds pretty damned cool.
• Playing cards. Fun for ESP experiments and speed-sorting games!
• I always like to have at least one paper book with which to play the “random page oracle game”. Right now it’s The Gift: Poems by Hafiz the Great Sufi Master.
• I Ching coins. Or Tarot cards. Or whatever divination aid you’re into, if you’re into things like that.
• Tissues. Tears may come, you might get caught up short in the woods…
• Gum/candy/mints. They’re usually too bright-tasting for me, but some people go in for that kind of thing.
• Fruit and nuts. Don’t leave fresh fruit in the bag in the closet.
• Magnifying glass. Check out cool stuff that’s small.
• Spyglass. Check out cool stuff that’s far away.
• Teddy bear. My teddy bear has psychedelic superpowers. If yours does too, bring it along.
• Phone with emergency numbers programmed in. This one can go in at the last minute.
• A bit of money can be handy, especially if you plan to go out and about.
• Herbal tea. This one is essential. I tend to go for teabags because they’re easy to use and you can make one cup at a time.
• Hand warmers.  I have an entire mythos that revolves around those little disposable chemical packets being the perfect trip anchors. They also warm your hands.
• Victory ice cream for when you’re done. This goes in the bag last, and make sure it gets into the freezer when you arrive at the target area.

Now that I think about it, the contents of my carpet bag today are not that different from what they were on Maui. Kids and psychedelic explorers have a lot in common. Simple things can amuse both groups for hours, both are brimming with untapped creativity, and neither should be left unsupervised or allowed to get bored enough to watch TV.